The Sound of Music is a stage musical with music and lyrics by the famous collaboration of Rodgers and Hammerstein which premiered in 1959; in fact, it was their final work before Oscar Hammerstein II died the next year. The "book" of the musical was written by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, based on an autobiography called The Trapp Family Singers, written by Maria Von Trapp, which tells the story of her life as a novice from a convent who is sent to tutor the seven children of an Austrian widower. Maria married the father and and the family singing group she started allows the family an opportunity to escape from the Nazi invasion of Austria. In 1965, it was made into a movie with Julie Andrews and directed by Robert Wise.
Sources:
http://www.rnh.com/show_detail.asp?id=SM
http://www.imagi-nation.com/moonstruck/albm30.html